晨興聖言-經歷、享受並彰顯基督(四)(W48-1)
第四十八週.週一
晨興餧養
啟二二12 『看哪,我必快來!賞罰在我,我要照各人所行的報應他。』
太十六27 『因為人子要在祂父的榮耀裏,同著眾天使來臨,那時祂要照各人的行為報應各人。』
在〔啟示錄二十二章十二節〕裏的賞罰,原文意,『工價』。當主回來,信徒被提之後,各人都要在基督審判臺前接受賞罰。
當主再來得著國度的時候,祂要賞賜或責罰一切屬祂的人。有些人要受祂的責罰,因為主的話說『賞罰在我』,含示不只有賞,也有罰。與此一致的,在七節主宣告說,『我必快來!凡遵守這書上豫言之話的有福了。』凡遵守啟示錄豫言之話的人有福了,因為他要得賞賜。當那日,我們所得的賞賜,與我們今天的態度很有關係。林前三章八節說,我們要照自己的勞苦,得自己的賞賜。主耶穌在馬太十六章二十七節說,當祂回來時,祂要照我們所行的報應我們。永遠的救恩與我們的行為無關,但國度的賞賜,卻完全是照我們得救以後憑主生命而有的行為。(新約總論第十四冊,四○三至四○四頁。)
信息選讀
每一個得救的人,都要在基督的審判臺前顯露出來,好叫各人按著本身所行的,或善或惡,受到應得的報應;行善的要得賞賜,作惡的要受責罰。(林後五10。)…正是為這緣故,即使是使徒保羅都說,他不敢察驗自己,但察驗他的乃是主。〔林前四3~4,參5。〕
我們活在地上,不是說良心沒有問題就彀了,主還要審判我們怎樣事奉祂。按照馬太二十五章,或許我們沒有領到二他連得或五他連得,但至少我們都從主領受了一他連得,至少有一他連得屬靈的恩賜。我們不能說,我們沒有得救,沒有主的生命,或沒有聖靈。…我們領受這些的結果,都至少有一他連得的銀子,我們必須拿去好好運用,作買賣為主賺得利潤。(14~30。)
聖經給我們看見,那領五他連得的,另賺了五他連得來,主就對他說,『好,良善又忠信的奴僕,…進來享受你主人的快樂。』(太二五21。)那領二他連得的,同樣也另賺了二他連得來。他們都是忠心事奉主的,也都盡力運用他們的恩賜。同樣的,當我們運用我們從主所領受的生命、聖靈和恩賜,就會有豐滿的結果。
不要以為,我們得救了就沒有問題了。…事實上,我們得救之後怎樣事奉主,怎樣為主作工,乃是個大的問題。林前三章保羅說,『只是各人要謹慎怎樣在上面建造。』(10下。)這意思是,我們眾人要謹慎我們的工作。我們可能用金、銀、寶石建造,也可能用木、草、禾秸建造。我們事奉主的工作,是甚麼樣的性質,有一天有火要來試驗。…只有金、銀、寶石能經過火而存留。所以保羅說,『人在那根基上所建造的工程若存得住,他就要得賞賜。』(14。)得救之外,還有得賞賜的問題。…得救乃是已經解決的事,得賞賜纔是一個還沒有解決的問題;這在於我們得救之後,怎樣事奉主。(新約總論第十四冊,四○四至四○六頁。)
參讀:李常受文集一九五五年第三冊,賞賜與刑罰,第四至六章。
WEEK 48 — DAY 1
Morning Nourishment
Rev. 22:12 Behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me to render to each one as his work is.
Matt. 16:27 For the Son of Man is to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will repay each man according to his doings.
The Greek word translated “reward” in Revelation 22:12 means “wages.” At the Lord’s coming, this reward will be rendered to each one of the believers after their rapture at the judgment seat of Christ.
When He comes again to possess the kingdom, the Lord will reward or punish all those who belong to Him. Some will receive His punishment because the Lord’s word “My reward is with Me” implies that there is not only reward but also punishment. In keeping with this, in Revelation 22:7 the Lord declared, “I come quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this scroll.” He who keeps the words of the prophecy of Revelation is blessed because he will be rewarded. The reward we receive on that day has much to do with our attitude today. First Corinthians 3:8 says that we will be rewarded according to our labor. In Matthew 16:27 the Lord Jesus said that at His coming back He will reward us according to our doings. Eternal salvation has nothing to do with our works, but the kingdom reward will be altogether according to our works that we have done by the Lord’s life after being saved. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 4451-4452)
Today’s Reading
Every saved one will be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may receive the things done through the body according to what he has practiced, whether good or bad; those who practice good will receive a reward, and those who practice evil will receive punishment (2 Cor. 5:10)…It is because of this that even the apostle Paul says that he dared not examine himself, but He who examined him was the Lord (1 Cor. 4:3-4; cf. v. 5).
As we live on earth, it is not sufficient for us to merely have a conscience without offense; the Lord must still judge the way we serve Him. According to Matthew 25, we may not have received two talents or five, but we have all received at least one talent, at least one spiritual gift, from the Lord. We cannot say that we are not saved, that we do not have the Lord’s life, or that we do not have the Holy Spirit…As a result of our having received these things, we have at least one talent, and we must use this talent properly and gain a profit for the Lord (vv. 14-30).
The Bible shows that after the one who received five talents gained another five talents, the master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful slave…Enter into the joy of your master” (v. 23). The one who received two talents likewise gained another two talents. They both served the master faithfully and used their gifts to the fullest extent. In the same way, when we use the life, the Holy Spirit, and the talent we have received from the Lord, there will be a full result.
We should never think that once we are saved, we will have no problems… Actually, the way we serve and work for the Lord after we are saved is a great matter. In 1 Corinthians 3 Paul says, “Let each man take heed how he builds” (v. 10b). This means that we must all take heed concerning our work. We may build with gold, silver, and precious stones or with wood, grass, and stubble. One day the nature of our work in our service to the Lord will be tested by fire…Only the work that is of gold, silver, and precious stones will remain. Hence, Paul says, “If anyone’s work which he has built upon the foundation remains, he will receive a reward” (v. 14). Apart from salvation, there is also the matter of reward…The matter of salvation has already been resolved, but the matter of reward is an issue that has not yet been resolved. It depends on how we serve the Lord after we are saved. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 4452-4453)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1955, vol. 3, “Reward and Punishment,” chs. 4—6
留言
張貼留言